After
by ApparentlyRude
Summary: A short Drarry fluff from Harry's perspective about after the war. TW for mention of PTSD.


**After  
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A little piece of Drarry fluff that had been on my mind for a while.

It's only a few months after the war when Mrs. Weasley brings up wedding plans. Harry is distressed until hes realizes that she's talking about Ron and Hermione. He hasn't been paying attention but they had been taking about it for a few weeks. He feels relieved that they aren't pushing him and Ginny to get together and then feels guilty until she tells him that she doesn't want to get back together. Shes already told everyone else this, except him, because he never brought it up so she figured that he didn't want to get together and sort it out either.

They talk for a while and when there done Harry lets out a sigh that had hundreds of littler sighs contained in it. There's relief and sadness and anger ans hundreds of other emotions that he has no name for wrapped up in that one sign. She hugs him and them leaves him to his thoughts. He is alone and quiet for a long while until he stands up to get food and his back cracks like he hasn't moved from that spot inn days, which, he supposed, it could have been. He hasn't seen actual people or heard their sounds in what feels like ages.

When he goes downstairs he sees Mrs. Weasley alone at the table with two cups of tea in front of her. She has always been a firm believer that a cup of good tea was a good way to get on the right path to solving a lot of the world's problems. He sits across from her and isn't remotely surprised when she pushes the cup toward him.

They are silent for a good deal longer when Harry works up the nerve to ask what time it is. It's not very late, only midnight or so, but everyone has gotten in the habit of going to bed early these days. They make small talk until Harry apologizes about get he and Ginny had turned out. She makes tutting noises at him and reminds him that he's still her son even if he and Ginny don't get married. It's a long time after that before Harry can speak without the burn in the back of his throat signalling the he's likely to cry. He knew she felt this way about him but she had never told him. When he says thank you she only nods at him and says that they should be getting to bed soon. Harry agrees though it's another long while before either of them moves. Light is peeking over the hills before he actually gets around to going to the room he shares with George.

Ron shares with Hermione and Ginny refuses to share with anyone so Harry is with George. HE doesn't mind. He makes no mention of George whispering Fred's name at night or the way that the remaining twin slips into bed with him in the middle of the night. It's nice to have someone warm next to him at night after spending so many nights cold and lonely with only the horrid horecrux induced thoughts to keep him company.

He worries about George when it's time for him to go back to school and George to his shop. He makes George Promise to write to him weekly, and sooner than that if he needs to. They hug at the train station and if the hug lasted a little too long and Harry's shoulder comes away wet neither of them mention it. He doesn't want to leave them, his family, but a look from Hermione is the final push he needs to make him get on the train. It's a fairly uneventful ride. There are many tearful reunions though and the voices that used to be so boisterous and familiar are hushed and foreign to Harry's ears.

Only one person is brave -or stupid- enough to bother him this year. When Harry sees that it's Malfoy he is at once tired and distracted and so itching for their old challenges that he's even surprised at himself. No one says anything at first. Ron can't even summon the usual anger but instead seems to deflate all at once and ends up ignoring the blond's presence in favor of looking out of the rainy window. Hermione clucks her tongue and goes back to her book, Harry just stares until Draco asks if they can find a private place to talk. He doesn't look nervous or impatient or anything of the hundred other things that Harry could have imagined.

They find an empty compartment, a first, and lock the door and close the blinds. Harry goes so far as to cast a '_Notice-Me-Not'_ spell on the door so no one would interrupt attempts a smile thought, the corners of his mouth don't lift the right way and there's too much teeth, but Harry understands. No one says anything until Harry pulls Malfoy's wand out of his back pocket. Draco doesn't reach for it at first until Harry takes his hand and puts the wand in it. Harry sees something vulnerable in Draco's face when he holds his wand again for the first time in months. Harry impulsively kisses Draco on the cheek and leaves before the other wizard could hex him for it.

When they get to Hogwarts Harry feels a suffocating-can't-breathe type of fear at being back. He almost doesn't get past the front gates, but he Hermione and Ron to usher him through it.

No one asks questions when he rushes out right after dinner ends. Draco is right behind him and Harry is extremely thankful when Draco transfigures him a glass of water that he drinks heavily from. They begin walking toward the lake, and while Harry knows he'll be in trouble for leaving later he can't help but take huge lungfuls of air to calm himself down. It doesn't work very well. He isn't paying attention at first, when Malfoy starts talking about absolute nothing of relevance or importance, but after a while he begins to hear himself think again. He is thankful to Malfoy once again, and starts to pay attention to what the blond is saying. He learns little things about the things that Malfoy knows, and his childhood and even about his Slytherin friends and how he feels like he should miss some, but he doesn't.

Eventually Malfoy trails off and they stop walking, already halfway around the lake at this point. Malfoy gives Harry his weird not-quite-a-smile and asks if it worked. Harry smiles, though he's sure it's n better than Malfoy's smile, and nods. He is saddened and delighted all at once that it was Draco ho fixed him. They stand outside for a while longer, neither of them saying anything. It is unnaturally quiet until Malfoy turns to go back inside. Before he goes he leans down and returns Harry's earlier cheek kiss. There's a howl not too far off in the distance and decide to walk back to the castle together. And if they're holding hands neither minds.

It's only later when Harry is in bed with everyone around him snoring that he thinks that for the first time in a long time that maybe he can do this.

**End**

Let me know what you think! Reviews are always wanted and appreciated.


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